Azerbaijan: Baltika renames Azerbaijani plant

Azerbaijan’s key beer producer Baku Castel has been renamed as Baltika-Baku earlier this month, abc.az posted on January, 13.

Over its almost 40-year history, the Khirdalan-based brewery has changed several names. Now its name reflects belonging to Russia’s top brewer Baltika.

Baltika Breweries completed the acquisition of the brewery in Azerbaijan in August 2008. Investments in Khirdalan brewery will initially make up to $20 million but can be increased in future. This is the first case of opening of a brewery by Baltika outside of Russia.

Currently the new owner is reconstructing the plant’s production line to make it ready for the 2009 season.

“Our high-priority challenge is to re-equip the enterprise to organize manufacture of “Baltika” and “Arsenal” beer by the start of the season. It means that by May we should make the brewery to conform to all standards and production requirements that are compulsory for Baltika company’s breweries,” Baltika-Baku general director Adam Tlekhuray said.

The Khirdalan brewery commissioned in 1969 belonged to production union Baku-Beer and was one of the six biggest breweries in the USSR times. In 1997 the brewery was transferred into ownership of France’s concern Group Castel.

In 1999 the brewery underwent large-scale reconstruction. By 2008 the enterprise’s production made more than 70% of the Azerbaijani market.

14 January, 2009